Tile



C. E. FORT Jan. 17, 1933.

TILE

Filed April 24, 1929 Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES CLARENCE E. FORT, F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS TILE Application filed April 24, 1929. Serial No. 357,613.

This invention relates to an improved tile. One of the principal objects of my lnvention is to provide a tile which can be laid quickly and easily and which will insure a better job. With this object in view I provide each tile with a series of pro ections on two adjoining edges and longitudinal grooves on the other two adjoining edges, thus making it possible to interlock contiguous tiles 1% by the engagement of the projections 1n the grooves, and accordingly facilitate the laying of the tiles and likewise insure that the tiles will keep their positions.

other important object is to provide a l tile having a sheet metal backing, the latter having struck-up flanges extending at an acute angle to the plane of the sheet metal to look into the tile itself, and struck-down flanges also extending at an acute angle to the plane of the sheet metal to project into the cushion coat on which the tile is laid whereby to anchor the same, two adjacent edges of the sheet metal backing beingalso provided with a plurality of aligned outwardly projectlng lugs to serve as the projections by means of which the tile is arranged to interlock with contiguous tiles. Some of the struck-up flanges are allowed to'project in one direc tion and others in the opposite direction, and the same is true of the struck-down flanges to aflord a positive hold in the tile on the one hand and onto the cushion coat on the other hand. These flanges serve also to stiffen and reenforce the backing so that there'is little likelihood of distortion of the tile under adverse service conditions. This is of particular importance in larger sized tiles in which the tendency to warp is more pronounced.

In the molding of these tiles I prefer to 40 employ a knock-down mold of simple sheet metal construction, the four sides of which are hingedly connected together and arranged to fold to closed position over outwardly projecting lugs provided on the bottom of the mold, and, at the same time, over the series of outwardly projecting lugs provided on'the two adjoining si es of the sheet metal backing be molded. Longitudinally for the tile to extending ribs projecting inwardly from two adjoining sides of the mold serve to form the grooves in the two adjoining sides of the tile in the molding of the latter. A separate piece of material is provided for covering the openings formed where the struck-down flanges are provided, thus preventing the plastic composition from oozing through the sheet metal backing about the struck-down flanges, these being left clean for anchorage in the cushion coat, whereas the struck-up flanges are naturally anchored in the body of the tile by the flowing of the composition in between and about the same.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein igure 1 is a plan view of one of the tiles shown about full size;

Fig. 2 is a section through a floor showing how the'tiles are laid in interlocked relation to one another as well as being anchored in the cushion coat;

F ig.- 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 through the mortar joint between thetiles, and

; Fig. l is a more or less diagrammatic View showing a plurality of tiles in plan toindicate how the outwardly projecting lugs on two adjoining edges of each tile are arranged to engage in the grooves in the edges of contiguous tiles in the laying of the tiles.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

The material employed in the making of the tile 10 is preferably magnesite composition, which is an oxy-chloride cement, with colors and fillers added to suit requirements. The tiles are square or rectangular in form and are each molded onto a backing of sheet metal, indicated at 11. This backing has a plurality of struck-up, and preferably par- 'all'el, flanges 12 imbedded and anchored in the tile itself in a very positive manner by reason of the fact that the flanges project in opposite directions with respect to one another and at acute angles with reference to the plane of the backing, and the plastic composition of the tile in themolding operation is allowed to flow in between and around these flanges and solidify. Another set of flanges 13, similar to the flanges 12 and like.- wise preferably parallel, are struck down from the plane of the backing to imbed themselves in a cushion coat 14 when the tile is being laid in a floor or wainscoting, whereby to securely anchor the tile in place. A small plate 15 of sheet metal, cardboard or any other suitable material, on the inside of the backing 11 serves to cover the openings produced in the forming of the struck-down flanges 13 and is used to prevent the plastic composition from oozing through these open ings in the molding ope-ration, whereby to leave the flanges perfectly clean for anchorage purposes. The cushion coat 1st is ordinarily anchored to the wooden floor 16 through the medium of metal lath 17, or the equivalent, excepting in the case of cement floors, Where metal lath is not needed. The anchorage of the flanges 13 in the cushion coat is just as positive as that of the flanges 12in the tiles themselves for similar reasons. The backing 11 of each tile has a plurality of outwardly projecting lugs 18 formed on two adjoining edges thereof to project from the two corresponding edges of the tile, as shown in Fig. 1. These lugs, as appears in Fig. '2, are struck up from the plane of the backing and then projected outwardly. That is for the purpose of their entering in grooves 19 formed on the two other corresponding adjoining edges of contiguous tiles." To illustrate, observing Fig. 4, it will be seen that in a floor, for example, the lugs 18 on one edge of a given tile will engage in the groove 19 of the next contiguous tile and the lugs 18 on the other adjoining edge of the same tile will engage in a groove 19 in another contiguous tile, and so on, each tile having two adjoining edges interlocked with contiguous tiles by the engagement of the lugs 18 in the grooves of the contiguous tiles and by the engagement in grooves on the other two adjoining edges of lugs of other contiguous tiles. Thus, each tile is positively located and held in place on all four edges and, besides that, has positive anchorage on its under side with the cush on coat beneath: There is every reason, therefore, to expect a floor made of this tile to endure and to be free from the usual troubles such as loosening of tiles, buckling, etc. The interlocking of the tiles is made still more positive by the mortaring of the joints therebetween, as indicated at 20. The mortar, as appears in Fig. 3, has a tendency to flow between and under the lugs 18, besides flowing into the grooves 19, which, of course, makes for positive anchorage. H

In the laying of these tiles it will be evident that once a few of the bordering tiles are laid and leveled properly. it is a very simple matter to lay the other tiles next to them, entering the lugs 18 in the grooves 19 and thereby getting the tiles all laid at the same level. In practice, the workman will probably find it advantageous to simply brush across the bottom of each tile with a little mortar before laying the same in place rather than to rely upon causing the material of the cushion coat to ooz'e up between and about the flanges 13 to anchor the'same. Itis, of course, a simple proposition to lay these tiles; a great deal of skill is not required and, furthermore, much less time is required in the laying thereof than was the case with the plain, unimproved tiles with which I am familiar. Since not so much reliance has to be placed on the skill of the workman a better job is usually the result where tiles In making a' tile, the mold with the backing 11 and its cover plate 15 inserted'therein, as shown, is almost entirely filled with the plastic magnesite composition and the material preferably slightly tamped to insure flowing thereof in between and around all of the flanges 12. Then, if a mottled effect is desired, a little material of the contrasting color is added with a few for good coloring effect and the mold preferably tapped slightly to cause slight mixing of the different materials and consequently blending of the colors. Then the mold is left standing until the material has solidified and the mold may or may not be placed in an oven to facilitate the setting of the material.

. In the making of larger sized tiles I prefor not to have all of the flanges 12 and 13 struck in parallel relation, inasmuch as that would afford reenforcement only in one di rection. Thus I may provide a backing with struck-up flanges at right angles to one another, extending lengthwise of the four sides of the backing, with the struck-down flanges 13 provided similarly as in the case of the backing 11. In this way, a larger sized tile, which is more susceptible to warpage, can be heldabsolutely to shape.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a clear understanding of my invention and of its. various objects and advantages. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to affording a degree of protection sufficient to include all legitimate modifications and adaptations, such as may occur to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, as a result of this disclosure.

I claim:

1. A tile of the character described comprising a body portion molded on a sheet met al backing, the latter having struck-down projections extending downwardly from the lane of the bottom of the tile to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof, the said projections extending in different directions relative to one another whereby to secure better anchorage of the tile.

2. A tile of the character described comprising a body portion molded on top of a made in accordance with my invention are used.

strokes of a brush sheet metal backing, the latter having struckup projections by means of which the same is anchored to the body portion in the molding operation and having struck-down projections adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

8. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion molded on a rectangular sheet metal backing, said backing having struck-up outwardly projecting lugs, provided on two adjoining edges thereof, and said body portion having recesses on the other two adjoining edges in approximately the same horizontal plane with the lugs.

i. A tile as set forth in claim 3 wherein the sheet metal backing is provided with struck-down projections reaching downwardly from the plane of the bottom of the tile and adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

5. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion molded on a rectangular sheet metal backing, said backhaving struck-up outwardly projecting lugs provided on two edges thereof, and said body portion having recesses on the other two edges in approximately the same horizontal plane with the lugs, the sheet metal backing being provided with struck-up projections serving to anchor the same in the body portion and being also provided with struckdown projections adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

6. A tile of the character described comprising a body portion molded on a sheet metal backing, said backing having struckdown flanges projecting therefrom in different directions at acute angles with respect to the plane of the backing and extending downwardly from the plane of the bottom of the tile and adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof and incidentally serve as a reenforcement to stiffen the backing and thereby prevent distortion of the body portion molded thereon.

7. A tile as set forth in claim 6 including a cover piece placed on top of the backing over the openings formed in the latter in the striking down of said flanges, said cover piece serving to prevent oozing of the material of the body portion through said openings in the molding of the tile.

8. A tile of the character described comprising a body portion molded on a sheet metal backing, said backing having struckdown flanges projecting therefrom in different directions at acute angles with respect to the plane of the backing adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof and incidentally serve as a reenforcement to stifien the backing and thereby prevent distortion of the body portion molded thereon, and said backing being further provided with struck-up flanges projecting therefrom in different directions and at acute angles with respect to the plane of the backing and serving to anchor the backing to the body portion.

9. A tile of the character described comprising a body portion molded on a sheet metal backing, said backing having struckdown flanges projecting therefrom in difierent directions at acute angles with respect to the plane of the backing adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof and incidentally serve as a reenforcment to stiffen the backingand thereby prevent distortion of the body portion molded thereon, said backing having struck-up outwardly projecting lugs, or the equivalent, provided on two edges thereof and said body portion having recesses provided in the other two edges thereof in the same horizontal plane with the aforesaid lugs. I

10. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of a predetermined thickness, said body portion having recesses on two edges thereof in the same plane, said body portion also having projecttions on th other two edges thereof in the same plane with the recesses, the projections of one tile in the laying thereof being adapted to enter the recesses of contiguous tiles, and said body portion having projections on the bottom thereof adapted to serve to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

11. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of a predetermined thickness, said body portion having longitudinal grooves of equal depth provided in two adjoining edges thereof in the same plane, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced lugs .of equal length pro- 'ecting from the other two adjoining edges thereof in the same plane with the grooves, the lugs on one tile in the laying thereof being adapted to enter the grooves of adjoining tiles and being adapted to space the tiles for a predetermined width of mortar oint.

12. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of a predetermined thickness, said body portion having-longitudinal grooves of equal depth provided in two edges thereof in the same plane, and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced lugs of equal length projecting from the other two edges thereof in the same plane with the grooves, the lugs on one tile in the laying grooves of adjoining tiles and being adapted to space the tiles for a predetermined width of mortar joint, and said body portion also having projections on the bottom thereof whereby the same is adapted to be anchored in the laying thereof.

13. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion molded on a reenforcing piece of sheet metal, said rcenforceinent having outwardly projecting thereof being adapted to enter the spaced lugs reaching from two adjoining e ges of the body portion in a plane between the top and bottom of said body portion, and said body portion having recesses on the other two adjoining edges in approximately the same horizontal plane with said lugs.

14. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion molded on a reenforcing piece of sheet metal, said reenforcement projecting outwardly from two adjoining edges of the body portion in a plane between the bottom of said body portion, and said body portion having recesses on the other two adjoining edges in approximately the same horizontal plane with the aforesaid projections.

15. A tile as set forth in claim 13 including projections reaching downwardly from the plane of the bottom of the tile and adapted to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

16. A tile as set forth in claim 14 including projections reaching downwardly from the plane of the bottom of the tile and adapted to anchor the tile in the laying thereof.

17. A tile of the character described com prising a body portion molded on a reenforcing piece of sheet metal, the latter having projectzons struck upwardly and downwardly therefrom, whereby the body portion is securely fastened to the reenforcenient and the tile is adapted to be anchored in the laying thereof, the downward projections reaching below the plane of the bottom of the tile to anchor the same in the laying thereof.

18. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of a pre' determined thickness, said body portion having recesses provided in two adjoining edges thereof in the same plane between the top and bottom of the body portion, and projections reaching from the'body portion on the other two adjoining edges thereof in the same plane with the recesses.

19. A tile of the character described comprising a rectangular body portion of a predetermined thickness, said body portion having recesses provided in two adjoining ed gcs thereof in the same plane between the top and bottom of the body portion, and a series of spaced projections reaching from the body portion on each of the other two adjoining edges thereof in the same plane with the aforesaid recesses.

In witness of the nature.

foregoing I aflix my sig- CLARENCE E. FORT. 

